It cannot be done by one man alone, not even a bit-hitting No.8 with the international reputation enjoyed by Palu. But if the Wallabies are to impose themselves on a French squad boasting forwards such as Thierry Dusautoir, Louis Picamoles and Nicolas Mas, Palu believes it will come down to individual efforts – and plenty of them.

"It's hard for me to keep one guy quiet, it's up to the team," Palu said of Picamoles, his likely opposite number. "But to overcome that you just have to have a bigger game than [him]. If he makes a big run you have to make a bigger run and if he makes a big hit you have to make a bigger hit. That's how you can outplay your opposition. If everyone does that, then you're going to [win]."

Palu was the starting No.8 when French coach Philippe Saint-Andre orchestrated a Parisian ambush on the first stop of the Wallabies' month-long spring tour in 2012. It was the sort of loss, a 33-6 capitulation, that could come from nowhere towards the end of the Robbie Deans era.

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"We got dusted up ... they weren't going too well and then they came out bashed us a bit," Palu said. "We should be up for this one."

Considering he played just three Test matches last year, Palu's contribution on that tour was largely responsible for his second-place polling in last year's John Eales Medal.

It is a recurring theme in the 31-year-old's career. As Bernard Foley said of his NSW teammate's contribution last month: "When he comes on ... his presence there, no one matches it in the side ... Just to have him [there] is an enormous, uplifting prospect".

But in four years, Palu has played just 13 of the Wallabies' 54 Tests. And while injury has hampered his career in recent years, he says his form has been an issue at times.

"I used to be one of those guys who would just run the ball and tackle, I never knew how to make an impact in other areas of the game, but now I can read the game a lot better," he said. "I used to hate rucks, I grew up playing rugby league, so I didn't know how to make an impact there, but now it's really good."

Saturday will be his first Test under Ewen McKenzie, the coach who recruited him to rugby from NRL side St George Illawarra a decade ago. Despite McKenzie's obvious respect for the skills of his former recruit, Palu said he was genuinely surprised to get the nod over in-form Force back-rower Ben McCalman.

But any cursory look over the Waratahs' climb up the Super Rugby ladder this season will tell you that, nine seasons into his career, Palu is in the thick of an Indian summer.

His consistent physical impact has anchored the resurgence of a NSW pack that understand they are massive and are prepared, finally, to throw their weight around.

Palu said he wanted to use his province's momentum to help propel the Wallabies to victory at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night. And though he likes to take his career one game at a time, the Wallabies hard man can still remember how good it felt that first time he was picked.

"I just wanted the training kit, I would have been happy with the free kit and to walk around the shops in a Wallabies jacket," he said. "All my cousins take the training kit now ... but to get 50 jerseys is unreal."